Distance on the Rise
by Frappucino
Summary: Piper starts to pull away from the team, and...eventually leaves without warning. Aerrow soon chases after her, searching for answers. But what he finds, might be the death of him... AXP : Please read & review!
1. The Beginning of the End

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or in the series The Storm Hawks.

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There was obvious tension on the condor.

Piper had directly disobeyed orders, and gone with her own plan. Yes, she did succeed...but what if the odds hadn't been in her favor? Stork was more high strung than usual. Junko was down with allergies. Finn ran away to play domo once again, and Aerrow was lost in his thoughts. Each member of the squad seperated in their own little worlds.

Aerrow pulled his gloves off and set them on the bed side table. Moments later, he sat down in rapid motion, his hands shooting up to hold his heavy head. He sighed and retreated, once again, into his mind.

This wasn't the first time Piper had disobeyed his orders. Infact, in the last three months...she had done it several times. In many situations, the red head had to abandon his chase with Dark Ace to make sure that the girl didn't take on more than she could handle. This frusterated him. She was acting very strange. She was more distant than ever. The team used to laugh together, work together and eat together. Now Piper kept herself locked up in her room. She still did her duty, but she acted as if someone had locked up her heart and thrown away the key.

"Where are you, Piper? Come back..." he whispered softly to himself, hurt in his eyes.

A knock came from the door, bringing him back to reality.

He stood up and answered the call. Junko's large form stood towering over him. The wallop sniffled, trying to hold back an on coming sneeze.

"What is it Junko?" the team leader questioned.

"It's Piper, Aerrow." Junko answered.

"What's wrong now?"

"I'm afraid...she's gone."

Aerrow's emerald green eyes widened.

"What do you mean she's gone?!" he paniced.

"I mean, she took off and left nothing but this note. Obviously none of us knew, or we would have stopped her..." Junko mummbled, handing his leader the note.

Aerrow grasped the parchment and began reading the message aloud:

"Dear Aerrow and companey,

The last time I disappeared, it was simply an experiment. This time, it's for real.

I feel as if I am dragging you down...it hurts me to know that I am the possibly the reason for most of the failures. I don't want you to get hurt, therefore, I am leaving the Storm Hawks. My uniform is on my bed and my crystals left in the boiler room. Good luck fighting the Cyclonians...

-Piper"

"That's rediculous. Piper's never let us down." the wallop commented.

Aerrow crushed the note in his hands. "Something doesn't sound right. We all make mistakes...Finn makes them 24/7, but he doesn't run. I know Piper...she wouldn't take off so suddenly..."

"Maybe she had other reasons?"

"Even if she did, she would have informed me...we would have worked something out."

"..."

"Junko, get Stork and Radarr to the bridge. We're picking up Finn, than tracking down Piper."

"Alright, captain."

The door swung closed, Aerrow still inside his room. He turned and looked at his squadron photo, eyeing Piper's gleaming face. What could she possibly be up to?

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First chapter of first story. Please be nice? Pllleaaase? Lol. :P

Review, review, review!!


	2. Poison

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or in the series The Storm Hawks.

Author's Note: Hey guys! Thanks for the kind words. I accept your constructive criticism. CHAPTERS WILL BE SHORT, but will be put out pretty quickly. Im just not a very long chapter writer-er, lol. As for spelling mistakes, I apologize. My computer only has wordpad, so I dont have spellcheck. ^^" Finally, I have a more formal style of writing...just my trademark, I guess. Hope you don't mind. Please bare with me!

I will try to whip out chapters as quick as possible! :)

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Finn was was once again on the condor, much to his dismay.

Everyone aboard the ship, in the bridge, was in a silent state of shock. There was nothing happy to converse about. Piper had left without a legitmate reason, leaving her teammates awestruck and saddened.

"Where do we begin to search? It's not like she left behind a trail of bread crumbs..." Finn piped up.

"Stork's taking another look at her note. He's checking for metaphorical references, etc. Hopefully she's a 'read in between the lines' type of girl...in the mean time, we can check her usual hang outs." Aerrow answered. "Between those options, we should be able to grasp an estimate as to where she may be."

Junko sneezed into a pillow, completley destroying it. Aerrow turned to his team member, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Junko, you've had your allergies for 4 months now. Surely they would have cleared up when we defeated those sky sharks?" the red head questioned.

"That's what usually happens." the wallop sighed "But I think I might have inhaled a bit of Botulinum powder. That light purple dust makes me sick for the longest time. I'm not allergic to it, but it brings out the worst of my regular symptoms."

"Botulinum powder? Isn't that deadly? I've heard the result of inhaling it is...an excrutiatingly painful death. The nervous system completley shuts down." Aerrow said with concern.

"Yes, but only when it comes into contact with a Mort Crystal. I wouldn't worry about it. Mort crystals are very rare, according to Piper's charts. The chances of finding one are something like...1 to 2,345,678,578. I think I inhaled it from the last major battle we had."

"Hmm...you mean where we fought Dark Ace in the cargo bay?"

"Yes, there. I was knocked over by Raves into a crate. I think it might have been filled with BP. I remember sneezing, then getting back up to fight. It might have drifted around the room...you might have picked up a small bit in your lungs as well."

"Dude, why didn't you tell us?! WATCH ME BE THE 5 BIJILLIONTH PERSON---or whatever---TO RUN INTO A FORT CRYSTAL." Finn paniced.

"Mort crystal." Stork corrected, hiding behind the ship's controls.

"WHATEVER. I COULD OF DIED BY NOW. Do you know how sad that would make people? It would be a complete tragedy." he ended.

Aerrow simply rolled his eyes, then turned to Junko with a stern look.

"If we inhaled it, how come we're not sneezing chaos like you?" he beckoned curiously.

"Wallops are the only ones who react to the powder so violently, as far as I know." Junko shrugged.

"Hmm. Stork, we're going to have to make a slight detour. We need to visit an analyst to see if we're infected or not. Piper will have to wait, as much as it pain's me to say it." Aerrow sighed heavily.

"Where are we heading?" Stork raised an eyebrow.

"To visit Billy-Rae." the team captain answered.

"Crazy Billy-Rae? Aerrow you can't be serious..."

"I'm very serious. She's the best in her feild. Now, let's get this ship moving."

"Alright...your call. If she happens to be in a bad mood...you're paying for my tombstone." Stork mummbled.

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Another Dumb Author's Note: Botulinum is an actual poison. Im pretty sure it's not a powder though. Like, 90%. I thought I'd incorporate some real world dangers and mix it up with some Storm Hawks danger. Also, Billy-Rae is an OC character, if anyone was wondering. I try to avoid them as much as possible...but I needed an expert quick, who can diagnos and be out of the story with in one chapter. Hopefully she will have a personality you enjoy! :)

Please read & review!!

I appreciate feedback so much!! 3

Chapter 3 will be out ASAP.

I HAVE DRAWN A PICTURE OF MY OC THAT WILL BE RELEASED ALONGSIDE THE NEXT CHAPTER. Smiles.


	3. Crazy Train

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or in the series The Storm Hawks.

Author's Note: Hello! Sorry for the wait. I've been busy with school...then again, who hasn't? Now...kick back and get rid of those school blues with some Frappucino fiction! :)

On another note, Fanfiction will not let me post the link to her picture...NUUUUUUU. She's so adorkable. I wish you guys could see her!

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"You won't be needing a tombstone, Stork" Aerrow rolled his eyes.

"You say that now...but she could throw a shovel at my face...then BAM! I'm a goner." Stork emphasized.

"Look, if she trys to hit you with a shovel...Junko will grab hold of her."

"Fine. ----Wait. So you're no longer denying that she'll try to kill us? HUH?"

"I see I'm not going to win this arguement. Let's stop now and head for The Wastelands."

"SHE LIVES IN THE WASTELANDS?!"

"It was the only place the people found was suitable for her..._condition_, if you will. They don't want her having outbreaks and clobbering innocents."

"But The Wastelands? That's a little harsh...even for her." Junko sighed.

"I know. If it was up to me, I would have placed her somewhere secluded...but with a nice environment. Somewhere she could enjoy the companey of...well...at least nature." the team captain frowned.

"Who is she anyway? Nobody's ever mentioned anything of a Billy-Rae to me. I'm insulted." Finn whined.

"That's because you hit on anything with legs. We didn't want to put you in danger." Aerrow chuckled.

"Harhar. But seriously, who is she?"

"She was once an 'outside' Sky Knight. She operated in a base, experimenting with poisons and antidotes, trying to form new weapons to use against the Cyclonian's. One day, the base was infiltrated, and Billy-Rae was kidnapped. As the story goes, the previous ruler of Cyclonia used a Confound Crystal on her. To temporarily throw her off her game...apparently, the effects were permanent. Then she went on a violent spree, bashing people and such. They removed her, but never her badge, in hopes that one day...the spell might wear-off. We haven't heard from her in years."

"It's so sad!! It makes me cry every time!!" Junko teared up, while letting out a loud horse cough.

"Billy-Rae was also close friends with Piper. Piper used to visit Billy-Rae when she was little, and keep the lonely scientist companey. Or, so she's told me..." Stork added.

"Wow..." the blonde was lost for words.

"I know. We could go on, but we haven't much time. Let's get this ship moving." Aerrow commanded.

Stork shook his head, and set coordinates. Junko took off to his room for more kleenex. Radaar was in a silent snooze, and Finn sat down on the large table in the centre of the room. Aerrow turned to him, arms folded.

"Something wrong Finn?" his eyebrows waved.

"How could they abandon her like that...Couldn't they have found a cure?" he sighed into his hands.

"They tried everything Finn...Cyclonia took her mind. All we can do for her now is hope that she gets better." the captain comforted.

"I guess you're right. But, if anything like that ever happens to me...DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE. I'd rather be behind bars than left to rot on a dangerous planet." Finn shivered at the thought.

Aerrow smiled.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

They had arrived, landing the ship roughly on a large pile of rocks. It was the only suitable place to park. Grabbing their packs, the boys hiked over many obstacles...and eventually got themselves lost.

"Aerrow...do you even know where she 'lives'?" Stork questioned, observing the frightening surroundings.

" Yes. I believe the place they built her is right up..." but the leader was cut off.

Aerrow was smacked, face first into the ground by a blur of red light. The rest of the team stood in shock as a giggle echoed through the lava filled cannons.

"That's h-h-her." Stork gulped.

"Are you alright?" Finn helped the red head to his feet.

Aerrow rubbed his cheek and grinned.

"Of course. Just a little tap...Look up there..." he pointed to the highest point of the cliff.

Sure enough, standing on the top of the cliff...was Billy-Rae. She jumped down,

landing flat on her face. Finn and Stork looked at eachother with an odd expression. She quickly got up, brushed herself off and stuck a finger up her nose.

"Hello govner. I've prepared your 37 L of space mustard. Now give me a floating cow!"

Finn, of course, burst out laughing.

Aerrow looked at her with a sad expression. She was different now. And as far as first impressions go, she sure did live up to her title. Her lips were chapped, her hair spikey and askew. The black suit she once dawned was ripped at the left thigh. But no matter how broken the girl was, her Sky Knight badge still beamed from her shoulder. It never left her, not for one moment. The team leader spoke up.

"Hello Billy-Rae. I was wondering if you could examine us. We might have been poisoned."

"Lily the great ballerina of Terra Wallop will do no such thing!" she snuffed, taking her finger out of her nose.

"Please Billy-Rae? What would you like in return?"

"Galactica loves to roam around the room, collecting stars."

Stork gave Aerrow a hopeless glance.

"One last time...Billy-Rae, if you're in there...can you test us for Botu--" but Aerrow was cut off.

"Botulinum powder. Botulinum type C toxin is a neuroparalytic agent produced by Clostridium Botulinumwhich blocks the release of neurotransmitter in a three-stage process: 1.) binds to the presynaptic cell membrane (rapid, irreversible); 2.) penetrates membrane, enters cell; 3.) disables mechanism for acetylcholine release (cleaves synaptobrevin, a protein found in membrane of synaptic vesicles and which is critical for acetyl choline release)."

"What?!" Finn, Junko and Stork yelled in unison.

"Open your pie-holes." she commanded.

The boys did as they were told, in fear of what she might do to them if they didn't obey. Billy-Rae approached Aerrow, and smelled his breath. She backed away cautiously, trying to fan away the toxins from her breathing space.

"You've got 0.81g's on your lungs. I'm going to assume your backup dancers do too." she concluded.

"You're sure?" Aerrow smiled.

"As sure as a monkey in a pickel jar!" the other red head grinned.

"Thank you Billy-Rae." He padded her on the shoulder.

She kicked him in the stomach, once again, knocking him to the ground.

"DON'T TOUCH ME, YOU WRETCHED CYCLONIAN." she shouted.

Aerrow got to his feet, and gave his team the signal to leave. Just as they were about to wander off from her sight, Billy Rae had one last thing to say.

"AERROW! YOU BETTER BRING BACK PIPER!!"

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Another Dumb Author's Note: LOL. This chapter went by soooo quickly. Probably because I wrote it at 4:30 am.

I PROMISE MORE FLUFF AND LESS CRAZY in the next few chapters to come. I just had to get the facts out of the way first, before I could let AXP progress.

Hope you enjoyed Billy-Rae as much as I did. :)


	4. On the Flip Side

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or in the series The Storm Hawks.

**A LINK TO BILLY-RAE'S PHOTO CAN NOW BE FOUND ON MY PROFILE. =)**

Author's Note: WOW. It feels like eons. Sorry guys! School again. You should know, I am taking 4 - 5 art courses this year...= lots of work. Oh noes! But I will always make time for the Storm Hawks...

Speaking of which, I just moved...

and guess WHAT??

I live on ATMOS ST. NO LIES FOLKS.

Another thing, the girl who sits across from me in art class..

her name is PIPER.

I looked in the mirror this morning and thought to myself:

"If this isn't a sign to keep on writing, I don't know what is."

Anyway, this week is the flipside! Thank god Billy-Rae is gone. She's a nut. Now, lets get started.

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It was a terrible feeling.

Everytime she thought of the many possible ways her friends could meet their maker, it sent a chill up the girls spine.

She was currently locked in a cell. No ordinary cell, however. Where a normal set of bars lay, a thick sheet of glass took it's place. The standard hang off seat/bunk, hung limply off the back wall. The tap to her right was dripping like mad. Outside the prison, two tallons stood guard over her...as if she could really pose a threat when trapped behind bullet-proof glass.

The girl tried to clear her mind. Tried to think happy thoughts...but what was positive about the current situation? She couldn't see the sky, the lights in the square room were dim...she was dim. It was also very cold. Alas, there was no blanket in sight.

She sat down on the bunk and sighed. Nothing to do, and escape was hopeless. Anything she attempted to try would end in the death of her friends...

Suddenly, she was jerked out of her trance and back into reality. A young figure stood before her, radiating evil.

"Good evening Piper," the female voice mocked. "I hope you're enjoying your stay."

"Cyclonis..." Piper hissed.

Yes, it was the guardian of Cyclonia herself. Master Cyclonis stood before the fallen Storm Hawk.

"Now Piper, you're well aware of what will go down...If you don't obey me, I'll use this..." Cyclonis reached into her cloak, grabbing a glowing, midnight-blue crystal.

"Where did you get that?!" Piper stammered.

"Oh...it's an easy catch...if you have sources."

"Sources, feh. You mean talons working day in and day out to find you that crystal."

"I guess you could say that...either way, you're part of my army now. Understood?"

"This is redicu--" but Piper was cut off.

The crystal started to intensify. It seemed like Master Cyclonis was starting to power it up.

"STOP!!!" the young Sky Knight cried. "Stop!! I-I'll do whatever you want me to d-do..."

The crystal's glow retreated.

"Good girl." Cyclonis giggled.

Piper scowled at her.

"Because if you don't...I will kill the Storm Hawks once and for all."

"Please...don't."

"I won't...for the moment."

"..."

Cyclonis turned her back on the weeping girl, and started to walk out of the cell.

"Now, rest up!" she shouted back "You start tomorrow."

The cell glass shut with a bang and most immediatley, Piper's hands cupped her wet cheeks. She continued to ball in the dull room. No comfort. Her friends lives on the line...

"Oh Aerrow..." she whimpered inwardly "what should I do?"

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"Okay, sooo..WE ARE OFFICIALLY NEVER GOING BACK THERE AGAIN." Finn declared, stepping foot into the ship's bridge.

"Well, even though Aerrow did get knocked down a couple times...we did find what we were looking for." Junko threw in.

"Junko's right. We now know that we are poisoned. What for, I don't know." Aerrow frowned.

The team leader moved closer to the front controls, staring out the window for answers.

"Perhaps this has something to do with Piper's disappearence..." he questioned.

"Maybe...BUT DUDE. We're poisoned. How do we get rid of this? I don't want to walk around knowing that I could drop dead at any second!" the blonde paniced, waving his arms frantically in the air.

"Oh yes. That would be...a real tragedy." Stork rolled his eyes.

"Calm down. We need to figure out whats going on. Maybe Cyclonis has a Mort crystal..." the red head pondered.

"But didn't you say the odds of getting one of those was like...1 in 34 bajillion or something?" Junko asked.

"Yes but, with the number of people in Cyclonis' army...I wouldn't be surprised if she had 3 of them by now..." Aerrow pointed out. "We need to put the pieces together. NOW."

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Hope you enjoyed!

Btw, THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO READS AND REVIEWS.

I got email saying: 'Someone favourited your story', and jumped for joy!

You guys make me so happy. =)

Keep r and r - ing!!


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